Every experience we have in life teaches us something. It dawns on you when you think about it. I would assume the challenge is to try and learn all that we can from experiences around us. So i thought of writing down experiences that i could single out. Calling them "Mind Opener Posts", thats what they are!
And somehow, the experience comes with answers that you are desperately seeking, much like clues being given by nature!
Cheers
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Blended Search & Search marketing
I had the opportunity to be part of a panel discussion on "The Blended Search Revolution", at the 3rd Digital Marketing Summit held at Bangalore today. The panel was brilliantly hosted by Shriram Adukoorie, Founder of Asklaila, and had Vivek Bhargava of Communicate2, Milind Mody of eBrandz and Narasimha Jayakumar from Google as panelists.
It was a well rounded discussion that covered all points from a technology perspective (AskLaila & Google), user perspective (Vivek shared his ideas on contextual advertising) and a marketer perspective (Milind and myself).
The important take-away for me was the challenges we face as an agency to be ahead of the learning curve to leverage these for our clients. I shared a lot of case studies with the group, that illustrated how our team used social media marketing methods to leverage blended search.
I hope the delegates found this as useful as I did.
It was a well rounded discussion that covered all points from a technology perspective (AskLaila & Google), user perspective (Vivek shared his ideas on contextual advertising) and a marketer perspective (Milind and myself).
The important take-away for me was the challenges we face as an agency to be ahead of the learning curve to leverage these for our clients. I shared a lot of case studies with the group, that illustrated how our team used social media marketing methods to leverage blended search.
I hope the delegates found this as useful as I did.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
The truth shall come
The truth shall come to those that seek, in unknown ways.
This video of experiences by Dr Jill Bolte Taylor at ted.com, is just so inspiring. In many ways it reinforces a lot of my beliefs on life and the universe around us.
I had to write about it. I have been sharing it with all friends since i have seen it.
See the video here: Click here
This video of experiences by Dr Jill Bolte Taylor at ted.com, is just so inspiring. In many ways it reinforces a lot of my beliefs on life and the universe around us.
I had to write about it. I have been sharing it with all friends since i have seen it.
See the video here: Click here
Monday, March 24, 2008
Looking Glass # 1: ESPN Turns Off Ad Nets to Protect Brand, Content
(Read original article here)
Top Web publishers are planning a revolt. Even as more prominent sites experiment with selling remnant inventory through online ad networks, and in some cases ad exchanges, ESPN.com is saying thanks, but no thanks.
The site recently cut ties with Specific Media and several other unnamed ad networks, and is taking the bold stand that ad selling that relies heavily on arbitrage and algorithms is not for them.
“We’re heading down a path where it no longer suits our business needs to work with ad networks,” said Eric Johnson executive vp, multimedia sales, ESPN Customer Marketing and Sales. Sources say that ESPN would like to rally support from other publishers behind this move, and ultimately tamp down ad networks’ growth. Turner’s digital ad sales wing is rumored to be considering a similar move, though officials said no decisions are imminent.
ESPN’s decision crystallizes a philosophical debate in the online ad sales industry that has intensified since the Interactive Advertising Bureau’s annual meeting last month, when during a keynote address Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia media president Wenda Harris Millard gave her now famous warning against selling Web inventory like “pork bellies.”
Two sides have formed—those who want to protect traditional, direct selling of premium content brands, and the math-loving crowd which favors automation and data. The math lovers make the traditional sellers nervous.
-----Through my looking glass-----
5 years ago, We (Webshastra - India's first ad-network) created a model where marketers were offered "Audiences" rather than impressions. We never implemented it, but the need for something like this is apparent now.
As long as networks sell impressions and clicks, the above debate will continue. The moment they move to offering audiences to marketers, the differentiator sets in. Networks can leverage their reach across sites to create more accurate demographic profiles. (Cannot be done by individual sites). And create a marketing model where the point of touch (any site in the network) is compensated by the degree of influence it has on its audiences. So, while an ESPN can be very influential in reaching out to a sports lover, a site on literature may be more effective to reach out to a book lover. Compensation to the site can be based on this.
This also helps publishers monetize their content & relationship (with the visitor) in a better way. It moves away from a impression based metric to an audience based metric.
Publishers should focus on providing quality content that engages its visitors. Audience brokers should sell the ads!
Top Web publishers are planning a revolt. Even as more prominent sites experiment with selling remnant inventory through online ad networks, and in some cases ad exchanges, ESPN.com is saying thanks, but no thanks.
The site recently cut ties with Specific Media and several other unnamed ad networks, and is taking the bold stand that ad selling that relies heavily on arbitrage and algorithms is not for them.
“We’re heading down a path where it no longer suits our business needs to work with ad networks,” said Eric Johnson executive vp, multimedia sales, ESPN Customer Marketing and Sales. Sources say that ESPN would like to rally support from other publishers behind this move, and ultimately tamp down ad networks’ growth. Turner’s digital ad sales wing is rumored to be considering a similar move, though officials said no decisions are imminent.
ESPN’s decision crystallizes a philosophical debate in the online ad sales industry that has intensified since the Interactive Advertising Bureau’s annual meeting last month, when during a keynote address Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia media president Wenda Harris Millard gave her now famous warning against selling Web inventory like “pork bellies.”
Two sides have formed—those who want to protect traditional, direct selling of premium content brands, and the math-loving crowd which favors automation and data. The math lovers make the traditional sellers nervous.
-----Through my looking glass-----
5 years ago, We (Webshastra - India's first ad-network) created a model where marketers were offered "Audiences" rather than impressions. We never implemented it, but the need for something like this is apparent now.
As long as networks sell impressions and clicks, the above debate will continue. The moment they move to offering audiences to marketers, the differentiator sets in. Networks can leverage their reach across sites to create more accurate demographic profiles. (Cannot be done by individual sites). And create a marketing model where the point of touch (any site in the network) is compensated by the degree of influence it has on its audiences. So, while an ESPN can be very influential in reaching out to a sports lover, a site on literature may be more effective to reach out to a book lover. Compensation to the site can be based on this.
This also helps publishers monetize their content & relationship (with the visitor) in a better way. It moves away from a impression based metric to an audience based metric.
Publishers should focus on providing quality content that engages its visitors. Audience brokers should sell the ads!
Thursday, March 20, 2008
An evening with Sri Sri Ravishankar
Our children study at the Sri Sri Ravishankar Vidya Mandir, and we attended the inauguration of their new campus. The campus is located at the outskirts of Bangalore.
The event included a ceremony to inaugurate the school, which was followed by a Satsang, a gathering of people along with devotional songs, and an opportunity to see Sri Sri Ravishankar, who was seated at the podium.
It was a proud moment for Manju and me as Aishwarya was part of a team of children who were chosen to sing a few shlokas. She showed amazing confidence.
While I have not done any Art of Living course, I believe the underlying message that the foundation intends to promote. Sri Sri spoke to the group in kannada, and rather than preach, he spoke about his trip to Nasik, and did also check with the organisers on what the prasad was. This is the kind of conversation one sees from people who are very simple in nature, no airs, no pride.
The other highlight of the evening was the fact that it drizzled all through. Ved, our 4 year old boy, was busy running all over the place in the rain. We all got drenched, and none of us fell sick after that. And we stop our kids when they want to play in the rain!.
I enjoyed this peaceful evening.
The event included a ceremony to inaugurate the school, which was followed by a Satsang, a gathering of people along with devotional songs, and an opportunity to see Sri Sri Ravishankar, who was seated at the podium.
It was a proud moment for Manju and me as Aishwarya was part of a team of children who were chosen to sing a few shlokas. She showed amazing confidence.
While I have not done any Art of Living course, I believe the underlying message that the foundation intends to promote. Sri Sri spoke to the group in kannada, and rather than preach, he spoke about his trip to Nasik, and did also check with the organisers on what the prasad was. This is the kind of conversation one sees from people who are very simple in nature, no airs, no pride.
The other highlight of the evening was the fact that it drizzled all through. Ved, our 4 year old boy, was busy running all over the place in the rain. We all got drenched, and none of us fell sick after that. And we stop our kids when they want to play in the rain!.
I enjoyed this peaceful evening.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Crazy party as I turned 37
I got a surprise party last night. Had quite a few people from the delivery office in Bangalore at home. We partied on till 12 am. I havent had a party like this in years.
Thanks to Manju, my wife, who thought about this, and the whole team for helping out and for coming over.
Thank u all!
Thanks to Manju, my wife, who thought about this, and the whole team for helping out and for coming over.
Thank u all!
Saturday, September 8, 2007
The Nature Analogy For Young Professionals
It was an interesting conversation I was having with one of our youngest team members. She got an exciting offer from an organization, where she was to lead a team in her area of specialization. Since the company operated in a wider marketspace, she was perhaps the only resource engaged in this particular line of work.
The salary offered was quite a large sum, and we were having a very open conversation on her options. While the offer was exciting, i knew she still had a lot to learn.
I had an example, which i shared.
Farmers follow a very interesting approach. The growth from seed to sapling is typically done under controlled conditions. And later when saplings have reached a certain size, they are moved on to the actual fields, to grow, to face nature.
In todays' scenario where there is a shortage of talented and experienced professionals, many a young professionals are made to wear large shoes.
The idea is not to discourage young professionals, but to share a story we see in nature. After all the same rules apply
Vinod
The salary offered was quite a large sum, and we were having a very open conversation on her options. While the offer was exciting, i knew she still had a lot to learn.
I had an example, which i shared.
Farmers follow a very interesting approach. The growth from seed to sapling is typically done under controlled conditions. And later when saplings have reached a certain size, they are moved on to the actual fields, to grow, to face nature.
In todays' scenario where there is a shortage of talented and experienced professionals, many a young professionals are made to wear large shoes.
The idea is not to discourage young professionals, but to share a story we see in nature. After all the same rules apply
Vinod
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